Finally!

Something you will realize is I am always a day late and a dollar short. I can barely keep up with myself!

About 2 weeks ago I did my first tattoo- it was a squiggly boob. Just a good ole boobie. Just one. To keep him comin back for more! Then I did a Daruma and Dave's co worker ( which is awesome, because I love Daruma's & tattooing has been a long time wish of mine ;) which he then added some gnar waves too.

Yesterday I did my third tattoo- this sweet little cherry blossom:



I am so happy I can't believe I m finally tattooing! After 2 years of watching & getting bailed on for an apprenticeship I am lucky that it actually came to be. I guess I should say thank you to Dave for being super supportive and awesome the whole time.

Anyways, just a quick Tuesday morning post as I am off to revamp Dave & my websites hopefully today!

ReBirth

Continuing on the note of chaos and crazyness-

So through death comes new beginning. It's just strange how quickly one may follow the other.

SaFire's workshop was this past thursday in Seattle. It was something I had been eagerly awaiting since I joined her online community HoopCity, an amazing place for hoopers, poi artists, and all those spiral loves! I couldnt wait to meet the creator of such a great community as well as one of the women whom I have watched hundreds of times on YouTube- where she provides some great tutorials on basic hooping. My digital hoop mentor! I was also excited to meet some local (kinda) hoopers and just hoop with other people! I swear Olympia is barren of hoopers.



This was the amazing hoop group who converged for SaFire's workshop. SaFire ran through some nifty tricks with us for about an hour, making rounds to us individually to work with us on any troubles we were experiencing. I have very bruised knees from trying to learn to walk with my hoop at my knees. Knee hooping is... my downfall. I swear as soon as it gets to my knees I'm essentially just waiting for it to fall- must practice! Here are a few shots from the workshop and the gathering.




Also I finally got hoop with my first client from Seattle- Ms. Amanda. She is so amazing! And somehow she has knee hooping down pat! :) It was lovely to get to hoop with her and she gave the Oddity a new home, as well as the Caramel Apple Swirl which her friend Jenn bought!

This lady is going to be an amazing hooper! As a matter of fact she is participating in a Duathalon right now I think! ( Sending some best wishes not to puke ! at 11:08 this Sunday mornin Amanda!) :)



While at the workshop- I met Anne of Seattle Hoopla ( picture below) ( shes the lady to the right of me ( I m the lady on the right!:))




Anne teaches hoop classes weekly in Seattle- check out her site here so you can get the low down on Anne & her classes. So through Anne I got my first batch order of hoops & I will be doing some design for her as well.

See- so quick, the cycle of up and down, round and round!

SO here are some new hoops I made for her fall class- super pretty!


If you want a custom hoop- message me on my Etsy! I love making hoops- I love to create these items which will bring smiles to so many people!

Ok, so at the close of the workshop portion of the meetup SaFire had us do a breathing, energy focus type practice that made for some cute pictures! Look at all these hoops & all these hoopers!! So happy!








Then of course- the sun went away and LED came out to play! Time to let the pictures do the talking! We <3 getting FUNKY! I didnt get the opportunity to personally meet everyone- so if you are here come give me a shout at HoopCity I m Lola!






LED Hoops are amazing and make for fantastic pictures and video! And they are super fun to hoop in just watching everything go round and round in a swirl of bright light and color!


I was amazed at this guys ground hooping! It was like he was blending breaks & hooping- awesome! ( See picture below- if you look closely you can see a large swirling hoop off his foot!! )





And voila, the day began- so the day ended.



THANKS TO DAVE FOR TAKING SO MANY GREAT PICTURES ( I EVEN SAW HIM HOOPIN XD)
&
THANKS SO MUCH TO SAFIRE! For being great inspiration, and so kind- and for creating hoopcity. MWA!

Death

My goodness. I have some friends piping up in my life that are proclaiming, "Mercury is in retrograde!" which I suppose they are crediting all the chaos in their lives too.

I just feel a strange sort of balance and reality that things are just in motion, maybe a bit faster and heavier then normal. Let me explain...

It all started one average morning last week. On the hunt for one of the gato's to say bye, Dave found him sitting calmly on the neighbors stoop- when he called Irish(frankenkat) didnt come so he went to pick him up. I heard him call for me to come get Irish and when I came outside I was shocked to see Irishimo's leg covered in blood and then a large open wound on his stomach. So voila- things go code red out here at The Flying Carpet. So to make a long story short, Irishimo frankenkat is fine, some 30 something staples, a handful of stitches, a big bill he lives... and is contiunously trying to escape- even with his wounds.


Onward ! This blog is going to be a beast! Sorry - but I promise no dull moments-

Next up- death.
Finality. Fin.
Love, Laughter, Sorrow.
This past Wednesday we found out the tragic news that Dave's Aunt Rosie had passed. It was the phonecall we got while still lying in bed starting the day. Rosie was such a beautiful person, I first met her when we got here from Florida. A sweet blonde haired woman in her early fifties full of smiles, laughters, and the best oddities. I remember one great evening we had with her, Dave's Mom Patty, and the third sister Mezzo. It was so HILARIOUS- I can't remember laughing so hard in such a long time. I mean, laughing til you are in outer space kinda laughing!
So, a word of Peace to Rosie.

We missed Rosie's last night out for Patty's birthday (the night before her passing) because I was doing my first tattoo. Life's Paths are strange.(Picture when it's healed!)

I will be posting on the Hoop Workshop With SaFire tomorrow! Consider it Pt. 2!

Me vs. LED Hoop Round 1

Ok...

So after a nice chunk of change and reading very limited instruction on how to make an LED hoop (found on the instructables site) I decided to attempt the endeavor of creating an LED hoop from scratch.

WOW.

Now that its done I can look back and say that all three sets of directions I found were rather vague in the wiring department. Since completion I think I figured out a much easier way to make it, so I will have a round two shortly. I am going to be offering them in my Etsy shortly.

Until then, here are a few pictures of it in motion- only 10 LEDs but the effect is gravy!

p.s. Happy World Hoop Day!

Holy Moley! Tush! Burlesque Packed the House!

So...


It was Thursday night, quarter after nine, the 4th Ave Tav was packed and the show was about to begin. Our lovely announcer was on, which meant Ms. Mary Jane Green was next, which meant... I was next (after next!). It was the first time I had ever performed- and I stood questioning my desire to do so. But when my tame came- the only escape was the stage, and Lola Ballgazer stepped out to play. So in the end, like I said, we damn near sold out the house, and the crowd was super amazing!


So here are a few shots of me in from the show- I ll have some more of my girls up shortly- but beyond that you can totally see all the shots from the show on faceBook! I will link it to YouTube when we have the video up!

2 Days Til the Debut of Tush! Burlesque!

The anticipation is killing me!! Tush! Presents The Peek A Boo Theatre Burlesque- this Thursday in Olympia, WA has been a project on the calendar for a handful of months now!



I am giddy and nervous, but most of all eager to perform and to be done with it. It will be such a great feeling of accomplishment to break through ingrained barriers of beauty with 5 of my closest girls.

Go figure- I am doing a hoop tease. I just wanted to touch base on my blog because I am so busy with costuming and practice in these final moments so... next time you hear from me it should be about how AMAZING THE SHOW WAS!!

xoxo
lola